Even before he named his first band back in Oklahoma, Austin singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave knew he belonged to that special fraternity of shadowy creatures who move to rhythms dictated by darkness: the 24-hour diner waitress, the late-shift radio DJs, the cops, the taxi drivers … the musicians. His night tribe. A few versions of Jimmy LaFave & the Night Tribe have existed over the years. His new album entitled The Night Tribe will be released May 8, 2015 on Music Road Records.
Explaining the term’s origin, LaFave says, “In Oklahoma, you hear the word tribe a lot because of all the different Indian tribes, and I thought, ‘What tribe of people am I part of ?’ It was always the night people.” After reactivating the Night Tribe name for a recent European tour, he decided he wanted to do something thematic with it. “And that is when I write most of my songs,” he adds. “Almost all the songs on the record were written at nighttime, driving.”
The result is a thoughtful, finely nuanced album that expresses the world through the eyes and voice of a tribesman traveling the roads of earth — from the splendor of a Colorado pine forest to the soulful vibe of Memphis to the loves and losses of fellow travelers.
Even at night, it’s a beautiful view.